Meridian weather in December

In December, Meridian sees average daytime highs of 59°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 4.6 in of precipitation across 9.8 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Meridian's 10th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Meridian's year-round climate.

Daytime high
59°
11th warmest
Overnight low
40°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.6 in
9.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
6:54 AM – 4:48 PM
Cloud cover
58%
10th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.47 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Meridian is city in and the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
281/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical December day in Meridian reaches about 59°F in the afternoon and slips back to 40°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 46°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16242
26242
36242
46142
56142
66141
76141
86041
96041
106041
116041
125941
135941
145940
155940
165940
175940
185840
195840
205840
215840
225840
235840
245840
255840
265740
275740
285740
295740
305739
315739

How December really feels in Meridian

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Meridian weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 38°4.49.410.14.2
Feb62° / 42°4.59.810.85.2
Mar69° / 48°4.810.111.86.4
Apr76° / 55°4.18.712.87.1
May83° / 63°4.01013.65.9
Jun89° / 70°3.712.114.14.0
Jul91° / 73°4.415.913.93.2
Aug91° / 72°4.112.913.23.5
Sep87° / 67°3.18.312.25.1
Oct77° / 56°3.36.911.27.5
Nov67° / 46°3.67.910.36.6
Dec59° / 40°4.69.89.94.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
24951
34852
44753
54753
64654
74654
84654
94654
104654
114654
124555
134555
144555
154555
164555
174555
184654
194654
204654
214555
224555
234555
244456
254456
264456
274456
284456
294456
304456
314555

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Meridian gets around 4.6 in of rain and snow over 9.8 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
128
228
329
429
529
630
730
830
931
1031
1131
1231
1332
1432
1532
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2233
2333
2433
2533
2633
2733
2833
2933
3033
3132

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 83% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1801073
2791173
3791173
4791173
5801172
6801172
7801172
8801172
9801172
10821071
11821071
12821071
13821071
1483971
1583971
1683971
1784871
1884871
1985771
2085771
2185771
2285771
2385771
2485771
2584772
2684772
2784772
2884772
2985771
3085771
3185771

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:44 AM to 7:01 AM, and sunset from 4:45 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.06:444:45
210.06:444:45
310.06:454:45
410.06:464:45
510.06:474:45
610.06:484:46
710.06:484:46
89.96:494:46
99.96:504:46
109.96:514:46
119.96:514:46
129.96:524:46
139.96:534:47
149.96:534:47
159.96:544:47
169.96:544:48
179.96:554:48
189.96:564:48
199.96:564:49
209.96:574:49
219.96:574:50
229.96:584:50
239.96:584:50
249.96:584:51
259.96:594:52
269.96:594:52
279.97:004:53
289.97:004:53
299.97:004:54
309.97:014:54
319.97:014:55

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.47 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.47 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.6Moderate
62.6Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.5Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Meridian?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.6
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.3
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Meridian for sightseeing.

What to pack for Meridian in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Meridian sees daytime highs around 59°F and nights near 40°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Meridian in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Meridian peaks around July 14 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Meridian in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Meridian is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1721 µg/m³Jan 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Meridian?

Meridian sits at 32.4°N, 88.7°W, 344 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Laurel, 53 mi away.

Topography around Meridian

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Meridian.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Meridian has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 ft around an average of 364 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 413 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft.

The land around Meridian is covered by trees (58%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, trees (82%) within 10 miles, and trees (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
292 ft
10 miles
413 ft
50 miles
696 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Laurel 53 mi · Brandon 75 mi · Starkville 75 mi · Hattiesburg 80 mi · Columbus 80 mi · Madison 83 mi · Ridgeland 83 mi · Pearl 84 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Meridian (32.3643°, -88.7037°, elevation 344 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).